Follow Reinvent

Speeding the Pace of Evolution to Avoid Revolution

Zipcar Co-Founder Robin Chase believes the status quo is broken, and that sharing economy platforms—which she refers to as “peers inc”—can help rebuild a new status quo. Chase devised the “peers inc” terminology because of the mutual importance of what she sees as two halves of the sharing economy equation: the platform and the peers. As co-founder of one of the original sharing economy companies, Zipcar, Chase believes that harnessing excess capacity is both attractive economically and vital for the sustainability of our planet.

“Everything that can become a platform is going to become a platform,” Chase said of the future of our economy.

Chase spoke about the challenges of income inequality, the value workers place on flexibility, and the need to overhaul many of our existing regulations. Chase believes that protecting status quo companies is much less important than protecting the rights and safety of workers. Ultimately, Chase said, our world needs to address income inequality and climate change much faster than governments and companies can on their own. Everyday citizens need to be empowered and engaged. “My job right now,” Chase said, “is to speed the pace of evolution to avoid revolution.”